Corporal punishment for school students is alive and well in 15 states. Would you believe? Bend over the desk and get your ass paddled!

Arkansas a state permitting corporal punishment. Came to my attention as a result of National School Walkout Day. Involved the Arkansas Greenbrier Public School. Greenbrier is located in an ultra conservative area.

Three students opted to participate in National Walkout Day. Only 3. They were vocally insulted and degraded by their fellow students. Two among the smartest in their class. The 3 consisting of both genders.

They left school and sat on a bench on school grounds for 17 minutes. They were told to return to class or face punishment. They opted to remain for the 17 minutes.

They were directed to the principal’s office upon reentry. They were given a choice as to punishment. Corporal punishment or a 2 day suspension. The punishments offered dictated by school board and school policy. The 3 agreed to corporal punishment. Two swats by a paddle on their derrieres.

Their parents were advised of the punishment prior to it being inflicted.

I consider the use of corporal punishment barbaric. In this case, the use of violence on 3 students who were protesting violence. A state sanctioning it and the parents agreeing to it some form of insanity in this day and age.

I admire the 3 protesters. They followed their consciences and took their punishment. They will go far in life.

St. Patrick’s Day did not turn out as anticipated. No corned beef and cabbage. Neither in a restaurant or as a take out. Restaurants too busy for take out. Terri fell eliminating going out to a restaurant.

Bear follows Terri everywhere. Always at her feet. While at home, he somehow got between her legs and she went down. Her head and knees came in contact with the tile floor. Ok, but sore.

Bear lay next to her on the floor crying.

Bear is 14 weeks old today. Getting big! Very big! We are solid friends. He has taken to me. I was seated on the couch most of the time. He was next to me, with me, etc.

Terri into dogs in her past life. Bear is already trained in certain respects. Upon command, he sits, lays down, offers his paw, and high fives. Except, the high fives are both paws.

We ended up ordering from Sandy’s Cafe. They deliver. A Cuban meal for 3 under $20. I had my favorite, Cuban cheese toast with tomato and a cup of Cuban coffee.

Bear and I watched most of the Kentucky/Buffalo game together. Buffalo has a better team each year. This year, the best so far. Though an underdog, I thought they might upset Kentucky. I was wrong. Kentucky killed them.

This afternoon at 2:40 on CBS, Syracuse/Michigan State. Syracuse the underdog once again.

I hope to watch the game and then hurry over to Kate Miano’s Gardens. Early Sunday evening always a fun time there. An added reason tonight. Terri is singing.

At some point, I have to shop. The refrigerator totally lacking in food. All I had yesterday before the Cuban sandwich at Donna and Terri’s was a cup of tea and 4 slices of bacon. No wonder I am losing weight!

For a month, Diana Millikan has been forwarding me information gathered from The Jews of Key West. Author Key West’s Arlo Haskell. When we met for dinner recently, she brought her copy of the book for me to glance over.

Diana thought the book was terrific. She was correct.

It has been announced that The Jews of Key West has received the 2017 Florida Book Award.

Trump is impressed by dictators. Perhaps evidencing a desire on his part to become one.

The Philippines and China have a drug problem. It was overwhelming at one point. No longer. Duterte and Xi kill drug dealers. With little or no attention payed to judicial process. Duterte has them shot on the street.

Both men came to this kill them outright approach based on a simple rationale. They were executing a person for killing one person. Drug dealers ultimately are responsible for the deaths of thousands. Justification enough. Kill them, too!

Trump has advised he likes the approach. He has promised a plan to deal with drug dealers this week. The kill them all approach, I suspect.

Opioids are killing 115 plus persons a day in the U.S. Most manufactured by American pharmaceutical companies. A few pharmaceutical CEO’s should be indicted for producing these killers of hundreds of thousands of our people. Everyone agrees the problem is at a crisis stage.

Two Pharma employees and 5 doctors were recently arrested in New York. Pharma was sponsoring educational programs. Doctors were invited to speak for which they received exorbitant fees. A pre-condition to the invitation was that the doctors had to be big prescribers of Fentanyl Spray. The fee received based on the number of prescriptions for the Fentanyl Spray a doctor wrote.

Doctors were entertained lavishly to jump on board. A Pharma representative greeted several at a New York strip club. Pharma paid $4,100 for a private room, alcoholic drinks, and lap dances.

I do not agree with Trump’s thoughts re making the death penalty applicable to drug dealers. A step too far. If he does however, he should add drug company CEO’s who produce a product contributing to the opioid crisis.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Belongs to the Irish. For this day alone, everyone is Irish.

Years ago, I did the Duval Crawl on St. Patrick’s Day. Drank green beer. Pissed green. Whooped it up.

No more. Time has caught up with me.

I look forward however to a good meal of corned beef and cabbage. Will do so with Donna and Terri.

Reservations generally required. Even with them, difficult to be seated timely. This year we are playing it smart. Take out from Shanna Key.

Parades a big deal this day. The only time I marched was when I was in college in New York City. I was in the Air Force ROTC. We marched in perfect precision up Fifth Avenue. A sharp eyes right as we passed St. Patrick’s Cathedral where the Cardinal sat.

Interestingly, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in New York City in 1762. As early as then there already was a large contingency of Irish living in New York.

Let me share with you an old Irish blessing: “May your troubles be less, your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.”

Yesterday, a party at a lovely home on the water in Sugarloaf. Hosts Anita and Tom. Great company and food. A magnificent setting sun.

Watched Syracuse defeat TCU last night 57-52. Another squeaker.

Next game sunday against Michigan State. CBS at 2:40 pm. Syracuse the underdog once again.

Big week ahead. Folks coming in.

Today or tomorrow, Don and Chris. Their wedding next saturday at the Hyatt. I see a week of partying ahead. Liver abuse time!

Tomorrow, Tom and Fran Dixon from Buffalo. Recently returned from a trip to Italy. Fran will be bringing me frozen sauce with meatballs, sausage and pork. If I am lucky, home made pasta. Tom and Fran excellent company.

I mentioned earlier this week that long time Key West artist Jon “Tosh” McIntosh had passed on. This weekend’s Key West Citizen has an Editorial Page “cartoon” honoring Tosh. Tosh was the Editorial Page cartoonist for 20 years.

We have bad leaders in Washington. Whose fault? Ours.

Leaders rise from the people. We elect them. Ergo, we are complicit in the fact that our President and Congress are bad or have gone bad.

All cause and effect.

We live in a time where power has gone mad. Two occurrences in the last 24 hours proof. The firing of Andrew McCabe and Trump suing Stoney Daniels for $20 million.

This morning’s news tells us that Russia has found its way into our power grid. The computers, etc. that control electricity, etc. By the push of a button, Putin can shut the U.S. down. Place us in immediate danger. Our nuclear weapons and other defense items work off electricity.

A President’s first obligation is to protect the people. Trump is failing/has failed. First, by his reluctance to acknowledge and do something about Russia’s intrusion into the 2016 election. Now the danger of Russia turning off the U.S.’s power grid.

I am old school. I believe people should stay married, children should live with two parents, etc. I am one of the divorced. My wife divorced me after 52 years. Ouch!

I mention divorce because it has been announced Donald Trump, Jr and his wife Vanessa are divorcing. Apparently her idea.

Divorce is a lifer changer. I feel sorry for both of them and their children.

Donald Jr. may find additional aggravation from Mueller as a result. Vanessa might decide to reveal whatever she knows which might be adverse to her husband. Though certain laws might bar such testimony by her because of marriage, it would not bar her from sharing any information she has with regard to Donald Sr.

A woman scorned thing.

Have we become a society where there is no shame? Michael Flynn is Trump’s former National Security Adviser who plead guilty several months ago to lying to the FBI. He has opted to take a deal, is providing information to Mueller, and agreed to testify against Trump if it becomes necessary.

Flynn was recently in California. He campaigned with and spoke on behalf of the Republican candidate who is running against Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Flynn was selling out America on a cell phone on inauguration day while Trump was being sworn in. Flynn seated several rows from Trump.

No one seems to care about character any more. For sure, Flynn, the Republican candidate he was speaking for, and the crowd that gave him a rousing cheer.

I am not sure why. Yesterday’s readership doubled. It happens occasionally. It had to be one of two blogs I wrote.

Getting to the blog late today. Sorry. The bed was comfortable when I woke. Spent extra time in it. Then at 11 watched Syracuse play Ole Miss. It is a little after 1 pm that I start today’s blog.

Deviant sex everywhere. What could it be in Key West? Not much not been experienced here. Something new?

Sort of.

Jennifer Rahe Hickman from Mason, Ohio is 42 years old. She and her husband were lying around the Southernmost Beach Resort pool enjoying drinks. Decided to return to their room for sex.

Room got noisy. Crying could be heard. Loud enough for the police to be called.

The police found the husband sitting on the bed crying. His wife had bitten his left forearm. Jennifer was yelling that her husband was “using her.” And, that she was “going to f–king kill him.”

The husband was lucky she did not bite him somewhere else.

Jennifer was charged with misdemeanor battery.

The police report appears to have been written with tongue in cheek. The report read that Jennifer was from Meanville.

Syracuse lost to Ole Miss. The better team won. I am glad the season is over.

Love corn beef and cabbage. Only eat it on St. Patrick’s Day. Other times a Key West restaurant serves it, the meat is generally a few days old and tough.

Decided on Bogart’s. The oldest Irish restaurant in Key West. A first time visit.

Donna and Terri with me.

I called in the morning to be sure they would have corn beef and cabbage. Was assured they would. The cook had been in since 6 cooking.

I wanted to make a reservation. They did not take them. However I was assured if we got there by 6, there would be no problem. The crowd not expected till after 7.

Whoever I was talking with was wrong. Arrived at 6. Had to fight my way in.

Tables on Casablanca terrace next door. We lucked out. It was catch as catch can. We walked up to a table as a group was leaving.

We ordered corn beef and cabbage. Waiter came back. We just ran out.

Sometimes you can’t win for losing.

My lesbian wives and I had a good time in spite of the disappointment. We ate off the menu and drank.

This morning’s Key West Citizen in its History Section noted that on this date in 1909 someone living at a house on Virginia Street died of leprosy. The Fire Chief had the house and its contents put to the torch.

I googled to see what I could come up with re leprosy and Key West. The first item to appear on the googled page was Leprosy / Key West Lou.

I wrote about the subject in my 10/13/16 blog. I had forgotten.

At the time, Diana Millikan sent me an article on the issue. It formed the basis for my blog.

I do not recall the date of the article Diana sent. However they were not burning houses and contents any longer at the time.

Leprosy is the Biblical plague of all time. However as I wrote, became not a problem at some point in time.

A large number of leprosy afflicted had lived in Key West. At one time, as many as 100.

Leprosy not catchable one person to another. Not person to person contagious. All Key West leprosy cases were contacted outside the area.

Leprosy is spread by armadillos. For real. No armadillos ever found in the lower Keys.

Leprosy is treatable today. The drug Putome was discovered in 1942. The cure for leprosy.

Trump and Tillerson best temper their words lest we end up in a war involving North Korea and who knows who else. Provocative talk not helpful. Diplomatic conversation the key.

The State Department had its budget cut by 31 percent. Enough diplomats remain available to talk to prevent a shooting war?